Help! Broody Hen!

[Goose08]

Ok, I found where I can order days old chicks that would hatch 8/21 & arrive on 8/24. I like this option because I can order all females & control the breed unlike if I were to get some from my friend's chickens.
Could I sneak them under her at night? How long will she stay broody? Just want to make sure they won't arrive too late and then I end up having to raise them in the house.

Depending on the hen, she might just take the egg. If you place an egg in front of a broody hen, they’ll either pull it under her with her beak, or leave it there. I know 90% of my hens will just take the egg. All hens are different though. Good luck

 

[ChickenTenderz]

Day 10. So far so good, I still take her a treat of scrambled eggs or whatever I'm bringing out to the other hens. She has stayed committed to her eggs and still fluffs up when I open the coop door.

 

[Muser]

Day 10. So far so good, I still take her a treat of scrambled eggs or whatever I'm bringing out to the other hens. She has stayed committed to her eggs and still fluffs up when I open the coop door.

Excellent! Hope she pulls through for you Ooooof, I bet eggie broody poos are worse than usual!

 

[Mrs. K]

Giving chicks is easy, I have never had a fail, but it is a two way relationship. The hen has to be broody, the chicks have to want the warm space.

When you get the chicks, give them a drink of water, making sure they all get one. The in the evening take them outside near the coop and let them get cool. They will start peeping madly. This sounds heartless, but you want them cold.

So wait about 15 minutes, in the dark, wearing a sweatshirt in case she pecks you, stick those cold peeping chicks under her. They will stick as tight as ticks to that warm spot.

It should get quiet, as the chicks are tired and warm. The hens cluck will change. Then do the hard part LEAVE. Let them work this out on their own. A lot of times people interfere too much, and the hen won’t take them.

Do not get eggs unless you can deal with rooster chicks.

 

[Mrs. K]

Sorry-did not read the other pages. Mine just hatched three chicks right in the flock.

Then the question becomes pullets or cockerels.

 

[ChickenTenderz]

Sorry-did not read the other pages. Mine just hatched three chicks right in the flock.

Then the question becomes pullets or cockerels.

I did get her four fertile eggs to sit on. Today is day 11 and she's going strong. Hopefully she's a good mama. Right now she is in the floor of the coop next to the nesting boxes. (Our coop is raised off the ground about 4 ft) we keep the floor covered in pine shavings and I'm making sure her corner is clear of the other hens' droppings.
When the chicks hatch do I need to provide her a separate place? Will the other hens try to hurt them or will they be fine since their mother is with them?
Usually we raise chicks in a brooder in the house until they are 12 weeks old then slowly introduce them to the flock. I'm hoping to avoid doing that this time since she is hatching them.
I know we have a good chance of getting some roosters this way, I know a few people around us with chickens that might be open to taking in a rooster.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Our coop is raised off the ground about 4 ft
When the chicks hatch do I need to provide her a separate place? Will the other hens try to hurt them or will they be fine since their mother is with them?

We do different things. I let my hens raise their chicks with the flock. Others isolate the hen and chicks before or after they hatch. There are benefits and potential problems with both approaches. I'll mention a few.

Hens have been raising chicks with the flock for thousands of years, even before they were domesticated. Usually that works out great, but occasionally the other chickens can injure or kill chicks. I have never had a chick injured or killed by another adult flock member but others have. I think having a lot of space in the coop and outside is important in that. My broody hens protect the chicks and integrate them into the flock, eventually weaning them. Some people on this forum say their broody hens do not protect their chicks from other flock members.

After they are weaned the young chicks have to take care of themselves. I've had hens wean them as young as 3 weeks and other hens not wean them until close to three months old. The broody hen has taught the other chickens to not bother them but the chicks still need to keep their distance. If the chicks invade the personal space of another adult they are likely to get pecked or worse so they need enough room to avoid the adults during the day and at night. Do you have enough room during the day that the chicks can avoid the adults? Is there a place in the coop where the chicks can sleep away from the adults? To me, having enough room is the most critical part of integration.

If you isolate the hen and chicks you will have to integrate them yourself later. It helps to have them withing eyesight of the rest of the flock. Of course it has to be predator safe. It is important that a chick cannot escape and go join the other adults without Mama to protect it. The other hens might injure or kill it.

You mentioned that your coop is 4' off of the ground. That probably means you have a ramp. When they are leaving the coop it will not hurt them to jump or fall down 4'. I know, some people freak out at the thought but it has never been a problem with mine. The problem comes in at night when they are trying to go back to the coop to sleep. The hen goes to the top of the ramp, either flying up or walking, and calls her chicks. The chicks cannot fly up. Some may walk up with her but many typically gather under her at ground level and are stuck. If some chicks make it up the ramp with her she may go on inside the coop with those and abandon the ones on the ground. Or she may hop back down and settle down with the chicks. You need to be down there at dark every night until you are confident all of the chicks will make it into the coop to sleep or to move the hen and chicks somewhere safe. I do not have automatic doors so I'll be down there anyway every night but some people with automatic doors might not think to check on them.

Good luck, however you choose.

 

[ChickenTenderz]

We do different things. I let my hens raise their chicks with the flock. Others isolate the hen and chicks before or after they hatch. There are benefits and potential problems with both approaches. I'll mention a few.

Hens have been raising chicks with the flock for thousands of years, even before they were domesticated. Usually that works out great, but occasionally the other chickens can injure or kill chicks. I have never had a chick injured or killed by another adult flock member but others have. I think having a lot of space in the coop and outside is important in that. My broody hens protect the chicks and integrate them into the flock, eventually weaning them. Some people on this forum say their broody hens do not protect their chicks from other flock members.

After they are weaned the young chicks have to take care of themselves. I've had hens wean them as young as 3 weeks and other hens not wean them until close to three months old. The broody hen has taught the other chickens to not bother them but the chicks still need to keep their distance. If the chicks invade the personal space of another adult they are likely to get pecked or worse so they need enough room to avoid the adults during the day and at night. Do you have enough room during the day that the chicks can avoid the adults? Is there a place in the coop where the chicks can sleep away from the adults? To me, having enough room is the most critical part of integration.

If you isolate the hen and chicks you will have to integrate them yourself later. It helps to have them withing eyesight of the rest of the flock. Of course it has to be predator safe. It is important that a chick cannot escape and go join the other adults without Mama to protect it. The other hens might injure or kill it.

You mentioned that your coop is 4' off of the ground. That probably means you have a ramp. When they are leaving the coop it will not hurt them to jump or fall down 4'. I know, some people freak out at the thought but it has never been a problem with mine. The problem comes in at night when they are trying to go back to the coop to sleep. The hen goes to the top of the ramp, either flying up or walking, and calls her chicks. The chicks cannot fly up. Some may walk up with her but many typically gather under her at ground level and are stuck. If some chicks make it up the ramp with her she may go on inside the coop with those and abandon the ones on the ground. Or she may hop back down and settle down with the chicks. You need to be down there at dark every night until you are confident all of the chicks will make it into the coop to sleep or to move the hen and chicks somewhere safe. I do not have automatic doors so I'll be down there anyway every night but some people with automatic doors might not think to check on them.

Good luck, however you choose.

I don't have automatic doors either. I go down and count my chickens and make sure everything is good every evening. We are thinking of moving the entire coop & run to another part of the yard, it would provide a slightly larger run for the days I don't get to let them free range. I have a large dog crate that I have used in the past to let the young girls see but not be in direct contact with the hens, if it looks like there could be an issue with the other hens I will move mama hen & chicks out of the coop & into the crate.

 

[Mrs. K]

As Ridge Runner states we all do things differently. My grandfather was a big rancher all his life, and once he told me, 'they know more about being a cow, than I ever will' I have taken that advice with chickens. They know more about being a chicken than we do. I do not bother mine at all. I don't candle them, and I don't expect 100% hatches.

My nests are about 3 feet off the ground, and my hen will pick a nest and stick to it, it is really only big enough for one hen. But I mark my eggs and if she is off the nest, I go take a peak to make sure there are no strays. Often time, while broody is out dust bathing and drinking, other hens will dance in and think - oh this is a good spot. If I have not caught her off the nest for several days, I will carefully remove her. Just to check for extra eggs.

I think a lot of problems people have with broody's is that they try and help, upsetting the hen, which can have her get so upset that they kill the chicks. Seriously day 19, just leave her alone, you can peak into the coop, listen for peeping, say a prayer if you want, but do leave her be.

Now one of the reasons I think Ridgerunner and I have had good success with this, is because we hatch every year. Our flocks are used to chicks. Another reason when you leave her in the flock, she will go out every day or so, stomp around, blow up like a beach ball, chew out the layers, nag at the rooster and stomp around. Everyone learns to give her some space. And we have a great deal of space.

I have tried moving them - yep escaped and went back to where she thought was best. After that, I just hope we get something, and wait.

If this works, you will be spoiled. It is the funnest, cleanest, easiest way of adding chicks. Mama does all the work. 12 weeks in the house? Wow. You will never go back. But it is the longest 21 days ever!

Mrs K

 

[Bawkbok]

Sounds like you have 2 options since you seem to have tried all the other methods.

1. Buy hatching eggs and place under her to have chicks.

2. Broody Jail, sounds harsh but not breaking the broodiness is worst for her health overall. Dog crate, with a wooden roosting bar for her to sit on, water and food, and leave her in there for 3 days, let her out, if she runs back to the nesting box, repeat.

I have a question about method #2 as I have a BA and a Buff Orpington - new to me for the first time - which I've read go broody often. We are limited to a small number of hens where we live so option #1 is not an option as we'd be over the legal limit.

Do you put the dog crate inside the run so they can all see each other or is it separate away from the coop and run?

Doesn't separating a hen create re-integration issues with the others after 3 days?

I'm new to chickens so I'm following this thread as I anticipate having a similar problem.

ChickenTenderz - let me know how it goes if you choose #2.
Thank you all.